Friday, June 13, 2008

How to Treat MRSA and Staph Infections

Amid the growing concerns for this life-threatening condition, researchers discovery that MRSA cannot develop a resistance to Manuka Honey the way it has been able to with antibiotics.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics, such as methicillin and other common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. MRSA is usually transmitted by direct skin-to-skin contact or contact with shared items or surfaces that have come into contact with someone else's infection, such as towels or used bandages. If entered into the blood stream, MRSA infections can become fatal.

When treating MRSA, taking antibiotics is not enough to destroy the bacterium or heal a Staph infection. Even though some medicines may help the boil to go away, the germ is still all around you, and you will most likely get it again if proper prevention measures are not followed. This dilemma has doctors and other medical professionals scurrying for an alternative to antibiotics.

Why don't antibiotics work? Antibiotics are medicines that help to fight bacterial infections. However, bacteria have the ability to mutate and become resistant to elements attempting to destroy them, such as antibiotics. Bacteria quickly develop new traits through mutations that help protect them against antibiotics. The mutated organisms survive and reproduce, passing along the mutation to their offspring. Eventually, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria will outnumber the non-resistant ones under the constant pressure of antibiotic use.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm. In more simple terms, when a bacteria becomes resistant to an antibiotic, it means that it has come up with a way to keep the antibiotic from working against it. It has been noted that more than 70% of the bacteria that cause infections are resistant to at least one antibiotic used to treat them.

What's the solution? Manuka Honey has the ability to destroy bacteria by drawing moisture out of the bacterial cells, making it impossible for the bacteria to survive. This is different than the way antibiotics kill bacteria. There has been countless clinical studies that have proven Manuka Honey's ability to completely wipe out the superbugs associated with MRSA-related Staph infections. As a result, Manuka Honey is now being used in wound dressings as a powerful antibacterial agent. To date, there have been no reported cases of any bacteria being able to develop a resistance to Manuka Honey.

What is Manuka Honey? There is a unique type of plant that is indigenous to New Zealand and certain parts of Australia called the Manuka Tree (Leptospermum scoparium). Honeybees gather the nectar of the flowers that grow on the Manuka Tree and take it back to their hives where they add enzymes to it to form honey. It is this unique nectar that possess special antibacterial properties which makes Manuka Honey different than other types of honey.

This medical grade honey is now being used in wound care products as a healing agent. Honeymark is a manufacturer of skin care products that utilizes Active Manuka Honey as a main ingredient. Honeymark's First Aid Antiseptic Lotion is an effective topical solution when treating MRSA. In addition to Active Manuka Honey, this product also contains Benzalkonium Chloride which is an FDA approved antiseptic. The chloride is, in essence, salt which has the ability to absorb moisture, similar to the way Manuka Honey does. Anyone who has ever poured salt over a slug has watched the slug shrivel up and die. The same thing happens to bacteria when it comes in contact with chloride.

"Honeymark has taken the sticky mess out of using plain Manuka Honey on the skin," says Frank Buonanotte, CEO of Honeymark International. "Our First Aid Antiseptic Lotion contains UMF Active Manuka Honey which has the ability to diffuse into the depth of tissue, healing wounds below the surface of the skin. This has become our best selling product because of its ability to effectively heal Staph infections."

For more information or to purchase Honeymark's First Aid Antiseptic Lotion, call 1-866-427-7329 or visit www.HoneymarkProducts.com.